


Looking Back

by ladygray99



Category: Numb3rs
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-08
Updated: 2010-06-08
Packaged: 2017-10-10 00:13:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/93109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladygray99/pseuds/ladygray99
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Billy never lets anyone make him look back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Looking Back

**Author's Note:**

> This is for emmademarais who asked for angst.

Billy blinked at the phone in his hand. There was an odd ringing in his ears and a buzzing in his head. The heavy shadows on the walls seemed to contract down around him. Each slow thick thump of his heart sent trembles to the tip of every finger.

“Billy. Billy. Billy. Come on Billy, you're freaking me out. Billy.”

Billy lifted his head. _'Charlie.'_ Charlie was talking to him.

“Billy?”

“Yeah?”

Charlie gently wiggled the phone from Billy's hand. “Billy, what's going on? Talk to me.”

“My mother just died.”

Billy felt Charlie's arms wrap around him. They were warm and strong. So much stronger than people would ever guess.

“Oh hun, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.”

A tiny chuckle shook Billy's frame. Then another. “It's okay.”

“Your mother...”

“Baby, I haven't seen my mother since I was twenty-two. She kicked me out at fifteen 'cause I was starting to remind her too much of my old man. Sent her a post card out of Quantico.” Billy felt Charlie hold tighter. “Honestly I sort of figured she was already dead but I guess her liver held out longer than I thought it would. And now I've got to go down to San Antonio and deal with all her shit and I guess I should try to find my sister or something and...” Billy tried to stand up but Charlie pulled him back down.

“Shhhhh.” Charlie started rubbing his back. “It's 2 AM. There's nothing you can do until morning.”

“I can't go back to sleep.”

“I know. At least lay down. Come on. Please?” Billy let himself be shifted back down under the blankets and he let Charlie hold him tight. “You never talk about your family?”

“Yeah, well, they're a lot of white trash losers that I've run long and hard from and aren't worth speaking about.”

“They're still your family.”

Billy chuckled. It was one of the things he loved about Charlie, this idealistic concept of his that family will always be there, or should be there.

“My old man ran off when I was four leaving my mother 20 grand in debt to a loan shark. Not something she could pay off working as a waitress so she paid it off other ways. My uncle Jake stayed with us after that until my big sister ran away. Turns out he was raping her. The Jake got done for possession and I hit a late growth spurt, started looking like my old man. Mom kicked me out and I didn't argue 'cause I was really getting tired of having empty bottles of Jim Beam thrown at my head every other night. I ran long and hard and made some good choice and made some bad choices but I never looked back and I never let anyone make me look back.”

Billy felt fingers trace his face. “You're crying, hun.”

“No I'm not.”

“Okay.” Charlie's fingers worked into Billy's red waves. He'd been letting his hair grow a little long. “You just hold me tight, love. Hold tight. I'll get us down to San Antonio and make the arrangements that need to me made. And I'll find your sister for you. _I'm_ not going anywhere, I'm not leaving and I'm not going to let you walk away from me. I'm right here with you, okay?” Billy nodded. He couldn't do anything else. Every smart remark or cleaver reply was locked in his throat in a lump that refused to move. Charlie's lips brushed his face. “Everything is going to be okay.”


End file.
